Reviews tagging 'Religious bigotry'

Night by Elie Wiesel

50 reviews

jaidenmarie11's review against another edition

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dark emotional informative reflective sad fast-paced
Extremely hard to read and one of the most harrowing, disturbing, and tragic books I’ve ever come across. I think it’s also one of the most important books ever written, the perspective shows that whatever you thought was troubling can get darker.

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sarasreading's review against another edition

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5.0

I didn't realize going into this that it was nonfiction, and that the author was only 15 during these events. There are no words that are adequate enough to describe what happened to Elie Wiesel. I can't believe I've never read this before, and I also can't believe how long this tiny book feels. How can so much unimaginable suffering be contained in something so small? 

This book will haunt me, and everyone should read it. 

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carleereads__'s review against another edition

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dark emotional informative sad tense

4.5


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happilyeveralli's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

AN AMAZING SECOND READ OF THE YEAR, READ FOR ENGLISH 10. Usually I don’t really “latch” onto the books I read for school. NIGHT was the opposite. I was instantly hooked. I’m not sure why. The book was a poignant read, and a needed one for our time. This is one book that I think everyone should make the effort to read at least once. It’s difficult to get through, of course, due to the subject matter, but powerful and impactful. 
For the survivor who chooses to testify, it is clear: his duty is to bear witness for the dead and for the living. He has no right to deprive future generations of a past that belongs to our collective memory. To forget would be not only dangerous but offensive; to forget the dead would be akin to killing them a second time.

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124smilehd's review against another edition

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challenging dark sad tense medium-paced

4.75

I remember reading this book in high school and not being as interested because it was something I had to read. Rereading this as an adult has made a whirl of a diffrence. My copy had the preface, forward from the original french publication, and speech from the Nobel prize award which gave me so much more context and insight. It also helped me delve into further research about the topic and Wiesel himself.

The story itself is a dark and honest recount of a boy who survived the holocaust and it shows the progression of his lost of hope, faith and even humanity. By his own admission, by the end when his
father dies
he feels nothing but relief, just as others before him had abandoned loved ones in order to keep themselves alive. As a reader you can't help but feel the heartbreak as he breaks both from internal and external tortures.

The book is beautifully written, with phrases that I will never forget and will probably keep me thinking for years to come. This is thanks to the tremendous skill of his wife, Marion Wiesel, who is the translator of this edition.

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ashsparrow's review against another edition

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5.0


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tazrox's review against another edition

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challenging dark medium-paced

4.5


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megloyd916's review against another edition

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5.0


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puglover's review against another edition

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5.0


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abbyluvsfrogs444's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional informative sad tense fast-paced

5.0

New review (1/28/23):
A rating less than five stars would be ridiculous. This is the best memoir ever written. I don't have much to say other than this is a must read for everyone. We must remember what happened. In Wiesel's words, "...one could not keep silent no matter how difficult, if not impossible, it was to speak."

He also says, "For the survivor who chooses to testify, it is clear: his duty is to bear witness for the dead and for the living. He has no right to deprive future generations of a past that belongs to our collective memory. To forget would be not only dangerous but offensive; to forget the dead would be akin to killing them a second time."

We have a responsibility to stand firmly against evil and bigotry. If you stay silent, you are taking the side of the oppressor. That is the reason why Wiesel wrote this book. To make sure the world knew what happened and we never forget it.

"Because if we forget, we are guilty, we are accomplices."

Again, this is a must read. Not only is this story important, the way Wiesel writes is magnificent. His talent shines through. He has such a strong narrative voice, one I could never forget, even if I tried. 

Old review: 
A lot of books about the Holocaust end with a renewed hope of life or a lesson learned through the experience. This one doesn't have that. Wiesel's telling of his experiences are so raw and truthful. He tells it exactly how it happened and how it made him feel. It's so much more realistic for someone to completely lose their faith and hope after a horrific experience like this, which is what Wiesel talks about in this book. As sad as it is, it's just so truthful and blunt. 

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